Team officials for the Indiana Pacers were stunned Sunday when, after a routine physical, center Jermaine O’Neal was diagnosed with a rare defect known as “Kevin Willis Syndrome” an ailment that causes unusually short arms.

“Jermaine O’Neal is okay and will continue to play this season” said by Pacers team trainer Josh Corbeil in an emergency press conference. “Preliminary reports from a standard physical have proven earlier suspicions that Mr. O’Neal does indeed have Kevin Willis syndrome. This is a setback from Mr. O’Neal, however, it will not force him to injured reserve and he can still have a productive NBA career.”

WebMD defines Kevin Willis Syndrome as:

A shortening of the arms usually leading to an advanced thickness of the tricep and bicep muscles. Named after the first person to be diagnosed, Kevin Willis Syndrome (KWS) can be disabilitating as, in some cases; the arms continue to recede as the victim ages.

Also known as “The T-Rex Effect” not to be confused with hip-hop band “Rex N Effect”, Kevin Willis managed to play through his KWS and garner an astonishing 21 seasons as a forward/center in the NBA. During his illustrious career he managed to haul in almost 12,000 rebounds.

I remember bill walton affectionately calling willis' appendages "penguin flippers". the best was when willis would miss his patented low-block jump hook. If he was short on the attempt, then walton would usually say he short-armed it.